Explore the benefits of decompressing your spine with acroyoga. Meri Sehat provides insights into this therapeutic practice for physical and mental well-being.

Decompress Your Spine With Acroyoga

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Overview

You&rsquo;ve probably wondered at those social media reels of partners doing yoga together where one of them effortlessly lifts the other. That is Acroyoga.

It&rsquo;s a fusion of yoga, acrobatics and healing arts and can be an athletic or recreational practice. Usually done with a partner who you will lift or whom you will be lifted by, it&rsquo;s tougher than yoga and the risk of injury is higher given that it combines the balancing act of acrobatics and the stretching aspects of yoga. However, with safe practices, you can avoid getting hurt. 
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three participants

In order to learn acroyoga, you are going to receive strength, flexibility and technique training. A typical acroyoga practice will require three participants each having their own function:

1. The Base: As the name suggests, this is the person lying down and having their entire torso in contact with the ground. This allows for &lsquo;bone stacking&rsquo; which means letting your bones support the weight you&rsquo;re lifting instead of your muscles. The base supports the flier with their hands and feet. 

2.&nbsp;The Flier: This is the one that will be held up by the Base. As a Flier you can either move in a series of dynamic poses or hold a static pose. For both of these, core strength, balance and flexibility is required along with a dash of confidence. 

3.&nbsp;The Spotter: This is the person who keeps an eye on the two partners, ensures safe landing, suggests modifications or improvements in the poses and can take care of any mishaps. 
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Combining the practices of yoga such as mindfulness and breath work with the athleticism and technique of acrobatics comes with plenty of physical and mental health benefits such as strength training from all the lifting you will be doing, stress relief from the massage aspect of it and can improve focus and concentration. The act of balancing and holding these positions requires complete mental focus and mastery over your own body that can help you in any area of your life. 
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Spinal Decompression

One huge benefit of acroyoga is spinal decompression. It can help relieve back pain while making your spine more flexible. One of the ways acroyoga can help with your spine is via inversions. It claims to rehydrate your vertebral discs &mdash; the cushion between the bones of your spine. This allows the spine to become more flexible and shock absorbent and it helps to provide better support. It will also help promote blood flow to the brain. Let&rsquo;s see how this can be done. 
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Inversion requires the base to lift the feet off the ground and with toes out, puts them where the flier&rsquo;s torso meets their thighs. Next, the flier will bend forward and hold the base&rsquo;s shins as they are gently lifted upwards. After this the flier can let go of the legs and stretch their upper body. Next up, the flier can hold their hands behind their head, the base will be holding their wrists and pulling the flier&rsquo;s entire upper body towards their head. This allows the flier to stretch their back. From this position the base can rotate the flier&rsquo;s spine either way, allowing for a deeper stretch.

Another acroyoga pose for spinal decompression goes something like this: the base puts their feet on the flier&#39;s back while the flier holds on the base&rsquo;s shin as they are gently lifted up. Once in the air, the flier can let go and hold onto their ankles while bending backwards. 
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Conclusion

Acroyoga might look tricky but it&rsquo;s a great way to reap maximum benefits on almost all fronts when it comes to your health. If nothing has ever worked for your spine before, chances are that acroyoga will definitely benefit you. Sign up with an acroyoga instructor and start your journey towards healing your body today. 
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